Posted by Emily on March 22, 2006 at 16:50:28
In Reply to: Re: Participants needed for a Masters thesis in UK posted by Perry on March 22, 2006 at 13:41:58:
Thank you for your questions. The interviews would either be in person or by phone...which ever would make the participant more comfortable. I would be more than happy to make the calls (to avoid people paying)...but of course people may not want to give a stranger their phone number. Since I am an anthropology student, much of the work I do is ethnographic...in other words, the interviews aren't yes/no answers but rather more of a dialogue.
I was not a member of TF nor did I know anyone from this particular group. Religion, whether it be a 'new' or 'old' movement, fascinates me. I find the power of belief very interesting...and the universal existence of spirituality also interesting. I chose TF for a few reasons. I wanted a group that has had some public controversy associated with it. I also wanted a group that has been around for more than 10 years...a group with 2nd generation members was also a plus because you certainly get a different understand by speaking with people who were raised in a group versus joining one later in life. The more I learned from professionals about TF, the more interested in it I became. I also wanted to pick a group that had many resources on it...including resources such as this website.
I hope that answers your questions...feel free to ask me anything you like. I agree more research is needed in this area.
Emily.